Has rotator cuff repair improved? 5 things to know

Orthopedic Sports Medicine

Is rotator cuff repair getting better? Or is it still a major expense to the healthcare system without better quality?

A new article published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine tackles just that. The authors examined 2,383 articles on rotator cuff repairs published from 1980 to 2012, using 108 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The researchers found:

 

1. There was a dramatic increase of the relevant articles over the years, but the clinical and anatomic results didn't show improvement.

 

2. The average retear rate was 26.6 percent at 23.7 months after surgery on average.

 

3. The factors associated with retears were:

 

• Fatty infiltration
• Larger tear size
• Older age
• Double-row repairs

 

4. The clinical improvement was 72 percent of the maximum possible improvement on average.

 

5. The patient-reported outcomes were improved regardless of whether the repair restored the rotator cuff's integrity.

 

"The information needed to guide the management of this commonly treated and costly condition is seriously deficient," concluded the study authors. "To accumulate the evidence necessary to inform practice, future clinical studies on the outcome of rotator cuff repair must report important data relating to each patient's condition, the surgical technique, the outcome in terms of integrity and the change in patient self-assessment comfort and function."

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Podcast

Featured Whitepapers

Most Read - Sports Medicine